Quitting cigarettes is not always easy without support and encouragement. For many it is necessary that they quit for health reasons. The HSE QUIT Team is a personal support service that has been set up to help quitters. The Team is there to provide support and have active advisors ready to assist anyone who has decided to give up smoking.
In Ireland the number of smokers has dropped to an estimated 700,000 smokers. Smoking still remains a big problem and numbers have proven that 14 families will be bereaved this year because of cigarette related deaths. Since New Year’s Day 1,000 smokers have signed up to QUIT.ie and over 20,000 smokers have decided to give up smoking this year. QUIT.ie is a supportive website where quitters can access support through Live Chat. Quitters can also use the assistance the QUIT Team provides over the phone, on Face book and Twitter.
Dave Molloy who works for the HSE’s National Tobacco Lead was speaking about the survey on smokers that was conducted last year 2015 and said, “In the last 12 months we’ve made some tremendous progress towards our goal of a Tobacco Free Ireland. In March 2015, the HSE announced the largest annual drop in smoking prevalence in Ireland since 2009, where we saw the proportion of the population who are smokers reduced by 2% points, or an estimated 70,000 smokers. Later in 2015 the Healthy Ireland Survey confirmed that just 19.5% of the population is daily smokers.”
Dave Molloy also spoke about the dangers of smoking and said that cigarettes kill 1 in every 2 of those who smoke. This means that 5,200 smokers will die in 2016, accounting for 14 smoke related deaths each day. Molloy further said, “Those numbers are shocking, and there are few better reasons to make a quit attempt this year. Whether it’s your first attempt, or you’re a seasoned quitter, the HSE’s QUIT Team is a free service that is here to help, and support will double your chances of success.”
As far as studies show, 70% of smokers genuinely want to quit smoking. Quitting with the support of other quitters can make this task easier. Quitters can access the new Community Section on Face book and the QUIT.ie website where they can connect to other quitters for advice and motivational stories.
QUIT offers a standard treatment programme that will monitor quitters for 12 months and offer continual support and advice while they are giving up. The first step is to contact QUIT for a 20 minute phone consultation. During this consultation smokers’ habits and reason for wanting to quit will be analyzed and if the smoker is ready to give up a date will be set. For the first 4 weeks the QUIT Team will make calls once a week and thereafter every three months to check up on the quitter. Quitters can order the QUIT kit on QUIT.ie. It contains a QUIT booklet guide to quitting, a money box for saving the money you save on not smoking, a wristband and pencil, a wallet card and post-it pack.
Dave Molloy concluded, “Remember, if you’re a smoker: You can QUIT and we can help. Contact the QUIT team today, you’re twice as likely to quit with our help.”
